Spark-plug.



H. J. BUTLER & L. P. CASPER.

Patented Nov. 3, 191 i WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY J'. BUTLER AND LOUIS P. CASPER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPARK-PLUG.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at we, HARRY J. BUTLER and Louis P. CASPER, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Louisville, in the county ofJefierson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Spark-Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is an invention in spark plugs for use with explosiveengines or the like, and has for its object the provision of a plug ofthe character specified, wherein the electrodes or sparking points areso formed that deposits of carbon and the like cannot accumulate on thepoints or electrodis, thus preventing the passage of the s ar In thedrawings :-Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved plu on theline 11 of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a si 6 view of the plug, Fig. 3 is a bottomplan view, Fig. 4 is a side view of the insulator, Fig. 5 is a side viewof one of the electrodes, Fig. 6 shows'two views at right angles to eachother the vibrating .or moving part that contacts with the electrodes,Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of construction,Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a side view of theinsulating member of the construction shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a sideview of one of the electrodes of the said construction, ind Fig. 11 isa, plan View of the ball.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the improvedplug consists of a tubular nipple or holder 1, reduced and externallythreaded at its lower end as shown at 2 for engaging an opening in theengine and internally threaded at its upper end to receive a )acking nut3 for holding the insulator 4, t e said insulator being of porcelain orother non-conducting iiiatei-ial, having a central opening for a purposeto be mentioned later, and having intermediate its ends an annularenlargement ti, engaged by the packing nut 3 to hold the insulator inplace in the holder 1.

n o F q A cylindrical nipple or extension 7 is pro vided at the upperend of the insulator 4. i

and the lower end is recessed as shown at 8 to receive the movablemember 9 shown in Fig. 6. It will be note-d fr m an inspection of Fig. 4that the recess 8 is longitudinal to the insulator 4, and that the lowerend is conical -or trumpet-shaped, while at the up Specification ofLetters Patent.

per end oppositely arranged bearing depress ons 10 are provided forreceiving the trunnions 11 of the movable member 9. (The member 9 isthus mounted for swinging movement in the recess 8, swinging on thetrunnions 11, and the lower bulbous ortion 12 of the movable memberextends be ow the lower end of the insulator 4 and is adapted to engagealternately the adjacent ends of the electrodes.

One of the electrodes 13 is in the form of a rod havlng its upper endthreaded and having at its lower end an enlarged elbow 1 1. The body ofthe electrode 13 passes through the opening 5 of the insulator the elbow14 being below the-lower end 0 the insulator. A shoulder 15 is formed atthe unction between the elbow and the body othe electrode for engagingthe lower end oi the insulator to limit the upward movement of theelectrode. The upper end of the electrode extends above the nipple 7,and nuts 16 and 17 are threaded on to the electrode above the insulator.The usual ring 18 eon nected with the end of the cable or conduc torthat leads from the magnet-0 or battery to the spark plug encircles the.electrode 13 between the nuts 16 and 17, and the nut 16 is provided inits lower end with a recess for receiving the nipple 7. The otherelectrode 19 is of usual form, being in the shape of an elbow extendinglongitudinally from the lower end of the holder 1.

In operation, the current passes from the magneto or battery through theelectrode 13 and the elbow 14 to the electrode 19 and Patented Nov. 3,1914.

Application filed November 4, 1912. Serial No. 729,459.

through the engine to the ground. The

bulbous portion 12 of the movable member 9 is between the adjacent endsof the elbows 14 and 19 and the said member is free to swing from one ofthe electrodes to the other. when the bulbous portion 12 is out of'ontact with either electrode, a

In the constructions shown in Figs. 7 to 11, the holder 20 is in allrespects the same i the holder 1, lmi-ing the reduced ext rnal threadedportion 21 for engaging the openvided with an annular enlargement or rib24 intermediate its ends, and it will be noticed that in bothconstructions the upper ends of the holder 1 and 20 are enlargedannu'larly to form an annular shoulder against which the lower face ofthe rib 24 may rest.

he packing nut 22 engages above the rib 24 to hold the insulator inplace and the upper end of the insulator is provided with thecylindrical nipple 25, corresponding to the nipple 7. One ofthe'electrodesv is in the form of a rod 26 having at its lower end ahead 27, and the rod passes through a longitudinal opening in theinsulator, the head limiting the upward movement of the electrode.Packing nuts 28 and 29 are threaded on to the upper end of therod andthe ring 30 of the conducting cable-is held between the said nuts. Thelower end'of the nut 28 isrecessed longitudinally to re- .,'ceive thenipple 25.

The electrode connected with the holder 20 is in the form of an elbow31, and the head 27 and the inner free end of the elbow 31 are directlyopposite each other. The lower end of the insulator is provided with atransverse circular opening, as shown at 32in Fig. :9, and thexhead isat one side of the'said o enin extending into the same, while the el ow,llextends into the oppossite side. A ball 33 of conducting material(Fig. 11) is arranged between the lower end of the two' electrodes, thesaid ball being freely movable in the opening 22 between the headand theelbow. q 7

-In the construction of. Figs. 7 to 11 the ball 33 acts in the samemanner as the 3 bulbous portion 12 of the member 9 and the same resultis attained.

ve claim:-- I

l 1. A spark plug comprising a tubular holder, having means for engagingan engine, an insulator of approximately cylindrical form in the holder,means for connecting the insulator to the holder, said inelectrode inthe opening and extending beyond the insulator at both ends, the lowerend of the electrode having an angular lug and the holder'having a lugopposite the lug of the electrode, and a member of con ducting'fnaterial supported by the insuwith respect thereto.

electrode extending longitudinally of the holder, an insulator betweenthe electrode and theholder, said insulator having a re cess extendingtransversely between the electrode and the holder, and a movable memberof conducting material within the recess and supportedby the insulatorand movable freely 7 between the electrodes, whereby to contact witheither electrode.

3.' A spark plug having laterally spaced trodes being spaced apartlaterally from each other, and a member of conducting and mounte forfree lateral movement between .the saidterminals,

4. A spark plug having electrodes whose terminals are spaced apartlaterally from each other, and a movable 'member1 supported between 'theelectrodes' and mounted for free lateral movement to contact with eitherelectrode. y A

HARRY J. BUTLER. I LOUIS P."CASPER. Witnesses:

ALBERT A, PLocK, J. W. G. HUGHES.

lator between the lugs and freely movable 2. A spark plug comprising aholder, an

electrodes, the terminals of the said elec material su ported betweenthe terminals i s'ulator having a longitudinaL-opening,an

